Romancing the Past
by Darkside685
Summary: CHAPTER TWO IS POSTED. Kagome, a girl from the future, stumbles her way into Feudal Japan, dazed and confused. Inuyasha, a half-demon, is suffering from the loss of the woman he loves. An alternate way of how these two meet and their adventures together.
1. Down the Well

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or any of its manga or anime.

Author's Note: Let me start out by stating that this is my first fanfic, however not the first story that I have written. This story might be in the same timeline, but it hardly follows any of the events that happen in the actual plot. This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE fic, which means that most of the elements will be different from the story, so please don't send me any notes complaining that my fic isn't following the Inuyasha story. Believe me, I know. It wasn't meant to be. I have not read any fics that are similar to mine, so if there is another version of this story, sorry, I didn't know. So please don't send me any angry emails about how this fic is similar to another, I've already apologized for it. I don't think there is, but there is still a possibility. 

So, with that business out of the way, please enjoy reading.

The sky was so blue.

He enjoyed the sight of the beautiful hue as he always had when it came to these evenings. He had loved the shade before, but was never able to see it like he could on this night. The color was dark and deep, yet had a light tinge to it as well due to the stars. The blue had his eyes captivated for a few moments. This was the one thing that he enjoyed about his transformation, his eyes were not bound by his inu genes. Granted he was not colorblind like normal canines who were not demons, but his sight was slightly altered, darker than usual, although the details were remarkably clear. Only when he walked among the humans as one of them was he able to fully appreciate nature's colorful palate.

Currently, these clarified eyes fell to the thin shaft of wood covered in dried blood with tattered feathers. He was informed that he was not supposed to have the power to remove it, but somehow he had, and now he found himself back in a world that he was familiar with but was different all of the same. And it was this night that he had woken from supposedly a fifty-year sleep, on the night of the new moon.

He had freed himself from the tree earlier this day, in search for his attempted murderer, his memory leading him to the tiny village he had monitored from a short distance away in the trees when watching her--what seemed to be just two days ago. Inuyasha had thought he would be completely pissed at her, and he was, before he was tossed into the darkness that held him for decades, but the anger had dissipated quickly when he recalled the huge blood stain on her right shoulder, only seconds before she had driven her weapon though his chest. Although he demanded answers, as well as a long, heartfelt apology from her--even if it would take centuries for him to forgive her betrayal--he wanted, needed to be entirely sure that she was alright, unharmed. He couldn't deny the feelings in his heart, even if it would take a miracle for him to relay them aloud.

Inuyasha had not expected to find an older version of the younger sister that Kikyo had harped on and on to him in some of their many conversations. He could not completely remember her face when she was young, but her eye was still as he recalled. His shock for finding the little girl all grown up and with developing wrinkles and graying hair was immense. Yet, his surprise was not nearly as large as Kaede's when she spotted him upon his arrival, the bowl of herbs in her hand flying in the air in disarray and the gasp that ripped from her mouth was sufficient proof. 

After settling down the panicked priestess, he managed to gain some insight from her of what had happened in the passing of what he had believed had merely been a few hours. He closed his eyes as he thought about what Kaede had told him. Kikyo had died from the wound that he was so worried about, fifty years had passed, and he was now basically alone in the world yet again. The sadness and loneliness filled his soul once more. It was a hard pill to swallow, but he knew he could manage to do it. He had accomplished that feat long ago, before Kikyo. 

He cut off his thoughts about the young deceased priestess in haste. It would do him no good to dwell on her and his feelings for her, at least not at the present. Later, perhaps, when he had assessed all of the other information. Such as the Shikon no Tama, which Kikyo took into the afterlife with her, certain that she could protect it, even in death. Kaede had told him that she was cremated, which meant that there was no sign of the infamous jewel crystal at all. Acquiring the strength of a full demon with it was out of the question. So what, exactly, was he supposed to do now?

Realizing his mind was wandering to various potential plans in the future, Inuyasha opened his eyes to again gaze at the vast sky. He'd have plenty of time to think on this later, when his normal senses returned to him on the morrow. But now, he could just stay sitting at the base of his tree, staring at the stars in the moonlight as if he had no care in the world.

******************

Kagome placed the book she had been absently thumbing through down on the table, sighing. She really had no idea of why she even bothered to read them. Romance novels were almost exactly alike, the heroine and the hero were both stubborn at first--fighting each other until the bitter end. Events varied due to the plot of their adventures and tribulations together in each book, but the end result was always the same, she knew. The sexual tension would build until the conclusion, when couple would end up together and live in that nether realm where everything was peachy and happy and they forever had each other. She'd like a map to that location, since situations like that never took place in the real world. Real romance was hard enough to find, even when looking in the right places.

She knew that well enough from personal experience. Kagome found herself in a relationship with the sweetest, kindest boy in her entire school. _If only Hojo wasn't such a pushover_, she thought to herself. She had no doubt that he would jump off a cliff if she had merely commanded it of him. He went out of his way to make her happy, it really was nice of him, however it had transformed into annoyance to her. The first few months of dating Hojo had been amazing. Every one of her friends had approved of him at the start. Hojo was handsome. Hojo was popular. Hojo was the nicest guy in the world. . .Yeah, well now Kagome was sure that she would get a cavity from his sweetness and desired something more. It had been good for a while, but now she wanted to be with someone who didn't instantly agree with everything that she said in fear that she would get angry at them for voicing their opinions. She wasn't that shallow. She really wanted to break her relations with the sweet guy, but she was afraid of also breaking his poor heart. 

Then again, it was expected of her to date Hojo, since she was supposedly a perfect match for him and his kind heart. Everyone had thoughts of her being such an angel, which was fine with her. She did her best from birth to fit their expectations and a gentle young girl was what everyone wanted. So when he had asked her out on that first date to a small diner, she had instantly agreed. But lately, she found herself changing, her mind and responses were different than that of before. It startled her to think that she had a chance of losing the angelic image that had taken her years to build.

Kagome heard her mother call to her from somewhere in the house and she rose from her seat to find her. She passed through the doorways and halls to where she located her mother. . .as well as her dull boyfriend. She had not even heard the doorbell ring she realized as she straightened her hair and fixed a smile on her face. "Hojo, I didn't know you were coming over," she said, watching her mother move out of the vicinity.

He smiled that gorgeous smile of his at her, flashing his teeth in an easy manner. "I wanted to surprise you, Kagome." He leaned forward to deliver her a peck on the lips, as intense as they went. Hojo had a strong respect and belief in marriage and was unmistakingly a virgin. She could understand this, but she craved a little more than those brief touches they shared. Yet, she knew she wouldn't do anything about it. Kagome watched as he produced a small rectangular shaped package and presented it to her. "I know you don't like anything too expensive, but when I saw it, I instantly thought of you."

Her smile grew in size at him. "Hojo, you didn't have to. . ." But, despite her statement, she tore through the wrapping and opened the box. Inside lying on a bed of cotton was a small chain with a shiny rose-pink sphere attached to it. Normally, she didn't like ornaments that were pink, but had to admit that she liked this one. It was beautiful, the way the light bounced off of the smooth surface, but some was captured inside of the crystal and made it shine from the inner curves of the wall. She took her eyes off of it and reached out to hug him. "It's very pretty. Thank you so much!"

Hojo couldn't help blushing at her attention. He loved it when she was happy and smiled like that. "It's my pleasure, Kagome," he said, tentatively wrapping his arms around her. 

She pulled away. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" she offered him. It was a small token for what he had done out of his own good will.

He shook his head. "I'd love to, but I have to go. My family is expecting me any minute now."

"Some other time then." She opened the door to let him out. "Thanks again, Hojo. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Kagome." He gave her a chaste kiss and waved at her before turning around and heading down the long flight of steps of the shrine. She watched him go for a moment and closed the door behind him. The hand gripping his gift rose so she could once again study it. It really was stunning, and yet she didn't know why. It was just a crystal sphere with beads connecting it. To others, it would look pretty much as plain as day, but she could feel an unfamiliar force pulling her towards it. Almost as if she was destined to have it. . .

She returned to the living room and set it besides her forgotten romance novel, rolling her chocolate brown eyes at her thought. _That's silly, Kagome. Why in the world would you be fated to a simple piece of inexpensive jewelry? _It was growing late, maybe she would catch a nap after dinner before she worked on her homework and studies. She was starting to get a little delusional it seemed.

Kagome's eyebrows didn't even rise when her brother entered the room. The boy would be forever in her business, and she knew it was no different now. He had probably heard the doorbell and decided to come down to investigate. The way his eyes darted around the room confirmed it and she sighed picking up her book and removing the bookmark from between its pages, pretending to be at least occupied so he would leave her alone. 

However she did not have such luck.

"What's that?" Sota asked, indicating the pendant. 

"None of your business," she replied as she turned a page, her eyes never raising from her novel. 

"Hmm. . ." he said, as he came forward to get a closer look. He frowned at it from his lack of interest. "Aw, it's just a girly necklace. I thought he would give you something cooler."

"Right. Like a video game, considering that he knows I'm not into that kind of nonsense?" Her finger slipped under another page. Sota could lock himself in his room for a whole day without food and sunlight, staring at his small television displaying virtual worlds where humans had to shoot and kill demons and villains in order to advance to new levels in their lifetime. It was pathetic, really. Videogames could suck out one's brain and turn them into the zombies that were supposed to be destroyed on the screen.

"It's a lot better than this," Sota commented, the chain in his hand. He held it up to the light, gazing at into its transparency. Kagome placed her book down and glared at him. 

"Give that back right now!"

He looked at her and smiled, glad that he had finally got her attention. "Not with that attitude," he said before bounding out of the room. 

Kagome normally didn't care when he pulled childish stunts like this, but her built-up irritation with Sota caused her legs to chase after him. _That stupid little twerp,_ she thought as she ran through the front door, left open from when Sota flung it open in his hurry to escape. He was much faster than her, she discovered when she stepped outside without a sign of him. It was dark from the night, so her vision was not at its best. The outside of the shrine had no lamps, only the natural light of the moon and starlit sky. She searched the area, hoping to at least a glimpse of her brother, but found none. 

A sound of the sliding of a door brought her eyes to her left and she smirked, finally learning of Sota's location. She took her time walking to the door of the well house, the desire to scare the squirt was too much. Kagome knew that he was hiding from her in there, and she didn't blame him. The inside of the old structure had dark shadows that could easily conceal, if the one hiding had no qualms about being incased within a thin blanket of cobwebs. She would just stand at the door to make sure that her younger sibling couldn't escape when she searched inside. 

She slid the door open and was disappointed that the moonlight did not illuminate the room to her liking. It was still dark and her eyes had not yet adjusted to it. Scowling in frustration since her plan was not working as well as she had hoped, she slid the door close behind her and began feeling her way around in the darkness, being mindful of walls. Her foot stumbled slightly when she realized that she was on the stairs leading down into the pit where the old and ancient well presided. Kagome's hand patted around for a railing and was content when her palm connected to the wooden plank lining parallel with the creaky steps. She headed down them and felt her foot come in contact with the dirt floor around the stone well. She moved around it, angry that she couldn't see him, her fury making her forget about her hunt. "Alright, small fry. . . Come out now and give me back my necklace!"

A soft clinking was heard and she looked up to see a small pink flash. Her hand involuntarily caught it and Kagome discovered that it was indeed the item that she had just demanded. A chuckle broke the silence as the sliding doors reopened to reveal a figure matching Sota's height running through it to the outside. Without thinking, she jumped to leap over the well, but she apparently did not judge the distance, since her foot caught on the outside edge of the sealed well. Kagome felt herself falling backwards and also felt the cracking of the wood that kept the well closed cave in beneath her. She yelped in surprise and closed her eyes tightly, expecting to feel immense pain when her back connected with the bottom. But she could feel none. 

Her eyes reopened in astonishment as she found herself swimming inside a sea of dark blue. She was still falling, but there was nothing that she could see that resembled the stone blocks that compiled the well. All there was were tiny shimmers of white light dancing around her. Her hand reached forward to catch one of them and watched as it dimmed in her palm. What in the world had happened? Was she dreaming this? 

She pinched herself and winced at the pain. Alright then, no dream. But hallucination was not out of the question. Had she not recently told herself that she was starting to get delusional?

Then the blue sea faded and she found herself surrounded by the stone of the well. So much for her hallucination. At least things were back to normal again. Her fury came back to her and she clenched her fists in anger. "Sota! You munchkin! I'm going to get you for this!"

He awakened from his slumber, the early signs of light from the sun flooded his vision. He glanced down at his hands and was glad to see his lengthened fingernails. Wisps of his hair batted against his face and he was contented with the sight of the chrome colored strands. He was once again in his normal form. He was no longer as incompetent as he was last night. His eyes of topaz looked up at the cloudy sky, frowning slightly when he noticed that it was not as vivid like his human eyes had told him, even if it was at nighttime. It still had a bluish tint to it, but it was faint, mostly gray, and he could just barely tell. Inuyasha folded his arms as he sat cross-legged under the same tree that he was bound to for five decades. 

__

Kikyo.

The wave of uneasiness crashed over him again. He didn't think that he would be able to take each day at a time like this, despite what his pride told him. Just when he had gotten used to sharing his life with another, the hands of fate snatched it away from him. He was still in love with her, perhaps would always be. But he had a long way to go before he could join her in the afterlife, and he knew that it wouldn't be any time soon. 

A scent wafted into his nostrils and his body became rigid in anticipation. Inuyasha had thought he was alone in this forest, but now his nose alerted him otherwise. He could detect anything within a ten meter radius, and by the smell of it, the source was within three meters. His eyes narrowed when he identified the scent. A human. It was rumored that no human was stupid enough to wander into the forest in fear of the plethora of demons that resided in the area, so what the hell was this one doing here?

He rose from his position to find the location of the poor idiot. He supposed he could give whoever it was a scare to keep them out of the forest in the future. A corner of his mouth curled up in eagerness. It would be fun to see the human tremble and smell the fear radiate from them. And he could use a little entertainment to lift his spirits and bring him out of his depression. 

His nose lead him to a clearing and his golden eyes squinted in confusion. There was nobody in sight, yet he was certain the scent originated from here. His nose couldn't be off, could it? Maybe it was the fact that his enhanced senses had only recently returned, but that had never happened to him before, so why now? He shook his head and was about to turn away…that was until he heard someone scream.

"Sota! You munchkin! I'm going to get you for this!"

************

Kagome stared up to the top of the well, squinting slightly against the early rays of the sun, wondering how she was ever going to get out of something that was so tall (just how long had she been standing here, anyway?). She let out a huff of annoyance. Sota probably ran off, that little moron. When she got out of this, she would make him do her chores for a month, which was much better that what her mother would do if she found out. Kagome rolled her eyes. Heaven forbid if Sota was deprived of his games and television for a few weeks. 

The sound of feet approaching echoed down the well shaft and she prepared herself to yell at the top of her lungs to her little brother. _Serves him right to come crawling back,_ she thought to herself, her eyes lifting to the entrance. 

But she was unprepared to see a head full of silver hair appear over the rim and eyes the tint of honey stare down at her. She watched him sniff the air once and bewilderment displayed on her features as she cocked her head to one side. He definitely wasn't Sota. Sota was a little shrimp with raven hair and chocolate-brown eyes. This creature had a face that looked as old as herself, hair the lightest color that she had ever seen--even Gramps' hair wasn't quite that shade--and eyes like the sun when it set in the mid afternoon. She had to admit that he was very attractive, and had no idea of how long she stood there, gazing at him like a brainless zombie. 

"How stupid can you be, falling down a well shaft?"

Boy, how quickly attraction could be squashed when one merely opened their mouth. Her thin brows drew together in irritation and her eyes blazed with fire at his statement. How was some guy that she didn't even know yelling at her as if she was a little kid? Kagome's lithe frame shuddered in fury. "I am _not_ stupid!" she yelled to the top to him. "Just who do you think you are?" 

A smirk graced his lips as he folded his arms. "Someone who could easily pull you out of there. But I'm not going bother wasting my time on you." 

Kagome seethed with visible anger when she viewed the long stands of his hair riding the wind when he turned and walked away. She put on her necklace to free her hands as her palms found the ivy that was growing on the stone wall and she proceeded to climb it. Her foot slipped at one point and she yelped, her eyes darting to the square of light above her, searching to see if that idiot had the decency to help her in distress, but was mildly surprised when she didn't see him reappear. Fists tightened in the green stalks of vegetation before she decided to give it another try. Kagome's arms wrapped around the wooden plank of the rim. "Man, I didn't think it would be that hard," she mumbled to herself as she pulled the rest of herself out. 

Her sight shifted to a large tree and her pupils centered on the boy seated beneath it in the shade. His eyes were closed and his arms were still crossed, his stance similar to that of one meditating, but Kagome was certain that was not the case. Her focus flew to the top of his head where she was sure that sanity had all but left her. Were those. . .dog ears? She tilted her head back and pinched her nose. This _had_ to be a dream. It was just too weird to be reality.

"What the hell is your problem? I thought you were stupid, but now I'm thinking that you're not right in the head." Accompanying his statement, a clawed finger tapped the side of his skull to emphasize the meaning. 

She could do nothing but stare at him. He knew that she was there, but his eyes never opened when he talked to her. He was really trying the patience that she had prided herself in having. "I'm perfectly sane--" 

I think. . . 

"--It's you that I worry about. Why didn't you help me?"

His eyes did open then and his gaze turned to her. She couldn't help the twinge of nervousness from coming when his eyes roved over her, starting from feet to face before he turned his nose up at her. "I don't help humans. Especially ones that smell as bad as you."

She was able to swallow the barrage of colorful words that formed at the back of her throat. She didn't even swear, but this arrogant little twit was forcing her to come real close. "What is that supposed to mean?" She shook her head. "Look, I need to get back home. Just tell me where Tokyo is and I'll get out of your hair."

The expression that formed on his face displayed that of confusion. "Who's this 'Tokyo'?"

__

Alright, that's it. I've officially checked into the funny farm. "Not 'who', 'where'. It's a big city, full of people, kinda hard to miss."

"Look, stupid, I don't what this 'Tokyo' is. Go find it yourself. All I know is there's a small village to the east of here." He stared at her, expecting her to begin moving in that direction, but he was shocked when she just stood there, her eyes falling to the grass.

__

No Tokyo? her mind asked. She was wondering why she was here with some dog guy and why the hell she felt like Alice in Wonderland. It just didn't make any sense. One minute she was chasing her midget of a brother for her necklace inside of the well house last night and then she was climbing out into a strange world in broad daylight. Just how could this be?

"Hell-o?"

His arrogant and annoying voice interrupted her thoughts. He watched her through her brooding. What was wrong with this girl? At first sight, he had thought that Kikyo had returned to him, but then he had caught her scent, different to that of his true love. Still, the strong resemblance was there. There was no denying it. But there was sharp contrasts to the both of them. Where Kikyo's eyes were narrowed and regal, this girl's were large and innocent. Kikyo had an air of strength to her. He was sure that this female couldn't put a scratch on him even on her best day. Kikyo's voice was deep and soothing, whereas this one's voice was high and irritating. But still, those eyes were the exact same color, the hair was the exact same shade, it was unnerving to see something that resembled the one thing that he so painfully lost. 

Her eyes snapped back to him. "What?"

"Didn't you hear me, bitch? I said the village was that way." His hand gestured in the direction. 

A low growl escaped her throat. "You need therapy, you know that?" Kagome turned her back at him. She wasn't going to waste her time trying to talk to this rude, overbearing dog-boy, or whatever he was. _I guess I'll start looking for clues in the village that he was talking about. **Somebody's** gotta know where Tokyo is!_ She began walking, ignoring the ill-mannered creature behind her. 

Inuyasha, however, did not want to be ignored.

"Hey, I should get a 'thank you', ya know!"

Kagome whirled around. "A _'thank you'_? Let's see, what should I thank you for first, hm? For _not_ helping me out of that well? For calling me stupid? Or perhaps for calling me a bitch and questioning my mental health?!"

__

But then again, I'm not so sure about that either. . .

"What you _should _get is some lessons in normal behavior, but then again, I probably shouldn't expect a miracle." She stormed off, more pissed than before.

Inuyasha could only blink as he watched her practically stomp her way through the forest. He was definitely more confused than ever; this girl had the audacity to yell at him, a human shouting at a half demon! She should have been scared out of her wits by him, and yet she had just stood there with that murderous expression on her face, as if she could rip him to shreds with her bare hands. Most humans had been afraid of him, why had this one been different? 

Was he losing his touch? No, that couldn't have been it. He heard the scream, "Demon!", almost everyday. Something wasn't wrong with him. Something was wrong with _her_, he was sure of it. _'That's it,' _he agreed. _'She wore funny clothes and talked strange, too.'_

Just what was a munchkin, anyway?

He was no cat, but he was definitely curious. So after considering it for a while, he decided to follow her, trailing the way she had gone through the forest. He was going to get some answers from her, whether she liked it or not.

**********************

"I can't believe him! How can someone be _that_ impolite?" she asked herself for the hundredth time. At least she never had to see him again, thank Kami. Kagome had a feeling that she could develop a mouth as clean as a landfill if she had stuck around him for a few minutes more. Ah, well. She didn't have to worry about him any longer when she was back in Tokyo. 

__

'**If** I can **find **_Tokyo. . .'_ her mind amended. 

Her eyes appreciated the vast expanse of luscious green trees. The forests that she knew didn't look anywhere near as beautiful as this one did. It was a wonder that anything could be so open and uninhabited nowadays. Kagome could see millions of companies and contractors nearly tripping over themselves to get a piece of this wide space. Of course, the lovely trees would be torn down and the amazingly fresh air would become polluted with chemicals and exhaust from the factories. It was disgusting to think that nature could become corrupted and destroyed that way.

Suddenly, a noise alerted her that she was not alone. It was a faint rustling, but after a few moments, it increased in volume. Kagome froze, her insides solidified and her instincts to run packed up and took a vacation. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she was rooted there, her body incapable of moving. 

Soon the vegetation parted, revealing an ugly creature unlike anything she had ever seen before. It resembled that of a dragon, three times her size and equipped with sharp and heavy teeth that it willingly showed in a snarl. Its crimson eyes clashed with its green scales and massive wings as it stared at her. Kagome's own brown eyes widened. Those were some humongous claws, she realized as it advanced on her. She really had no desire to be torn apart by those or those mammoth teeth. She backed up a few steps, trying her hardest not to provoke the rather large animal. 

"You possess the Shikon no Tama," it announced in a raspy baritone. 

The Shikon no what? Just what was it talking about? _'Great,' _she thought to herself._ 'I'm going to die for something that I didn't even do.' _She didn't doubt for a minute that the dragon-thing could catch her if she tried to run, and she didn't think that it had appeared to sit down to chat over a nice cup of tea. It obviously wanted something that she did not have, and here she was going to die for it. She closed her eyes as it swung its huge paw at her, silently saying all of her farewells to her friends and family.

"Sankon Tessou!"

Okay, that did _not_ sound like the dragon's voice. It was higher and sounded kinda human. . .err. . .more human than it had sounded before. Come to think of it, it kind of sounded like. . .'_No, it couldn't be. . .'_

Her eyes opened to see the back of the dog-boy, his hands raised near his face, a purple substance dripping from his fingernails. . .or were those claws? She hadn't noticed them before. Why should she surprised to see them now, since she had traveled to some foreign land and gotten attacked by a _MYTHICAL CREATURE_! She shook her head. This was all just becoming too weird. 

Her attention turned back to the silver-haired boy who was peeling a rather large chunk of scales and muscle off of his scarlet clothing. A smirk made its way on his face as he cracked his knuckles in preparation. "For something so big," Inuyasha taunted. "you're just about as slow as they come." He spared a glance over his shoulder. "Hey, stupid! Run! Get behind a bush or something."

Kagome would have objected to his choice of words, but common sense warned her to do as she was told. She ran a few feet to duck behind a trunk of a tree, her eyes glued on the fight. The dog-boy was making quick work of her threat, using erratic swipes of his claws to draw blood. The dragon lunged at him, but his earlier claim was right, and he proved it by acrobatically avoiding it by flipping away from it. When he landed, he readied his hand and charged at his opponent. 

"Sankon Tessou!"

His attack split the dragon in half, from jaw to tail. His assault forced him into a crouch after its completion and he rose from it to turn and stare at Kagome. They stared at each other for several minutes until he broke the silence.

"I want my 'thank you' now," he said as he crossed his arms.

Kagome's eyebrows drew together at his tone, but didn't argue with him. He was right, he _had _saved her life, and she supposed she could overlook it for now. "Thank you," she mumbled. 

Any normal human would not have been able to hear it, but Inuyasha had. However, he decided that she did not need to know that yet. "What?" he feigned deafness. "I couldn't hear you."

"I _said_ thank you!" Kagome yelled back at him, her hands balled into fists. He was really irritating her, and judging by his smirk, he was doing it on purpose. What was _with_ this guy?

"Hmph," he said as he walked towards her, shaking his hand to allow the dragon's blood to drip off of them. 

"You have the manners of a wet brick." She folded her arms, the intensity not dying from her heated glare. As she moved, Inuyasha caught a glint of something pink. He sniffed the air suddenly. 

__

'Wait a minute. . .I know that scent. . .'

She saw his eyes gaze down at her necklace and frowned. What was he looking at? "What? Haven't you seen a pendant before?"

But Inuyasha paid her no attention as it was focused solely on her chain. He couldn't believe it. 

This annoying little girl had the Shikon no Tama.


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine, or any of its anime series or manga.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of your feedback and reviews. I appreciate every one of them. I only wish that I had more, but I suppose that is for the fact that I only have one chapter. But here is the second one, and it would not have been out today if it wasn't for demon angel. Thanks for your effort!

Kagome's eyes widened as she heard the low growl released from the back of his throat. Okay, that was new. What was wrong with him now? Only seconds ago he was aggravating her with his lack of manners, and then suddenly he was glaring at her with unbridled fury and baring his fangs, making her wonder if she would have been better off with that dragon. Had she said something to upset him? She didn't think so. And she doubted that it had something to do with what she had said earlier to him. It was only one sentence, a question really; she didn't think that it was entirely offensive. So just what was going on, and why was he giving her venomous glares?

Kagome took a step back, uncertainty flashing across her features. She didn't really know this guy, she realized again taking another step away from him as his rumble increased in volume. It was wrong to think that he was semi-decent, but she had believed it as she watched him eliminate her previous attacker. He couldn't be _all_ bad if he had saved her, right? 

His hair seemed to stand on end as he approached her with extreme caution. His hands clenched and unclenched, as if he was afraid that he would destroy her before obtaining some answers. He spoke calmly, but Kagome could tell that he was attempting to mask his anger but failing miserably.

"Where the hell did you get that?!"

Kagome looked down at her necklace and rose the small jewel to observe it. It was still shiny and pink, it still had that glow inside of it. She suddenly was aware of the thought that he objected to her possessing it. Her hands clutched the pendant and held it to her chest protectively. "It was a gift."

Inuyasha's eye twitched. _'A gift? A fucking gift?!' _he fumed. That little jewel was the basis of so many events of his life, the object of his hopes and dreams, and somebody had just _given_ it away? And to someone who obviously couldn't protect it? Any and every demon would be after her now, with the jewel's scent and power being released back into the air after fifty years. At least with Kikyo the demons had _some _fear of her, for they knew her skill and what she was capable of doing if any threat crossed her way. 

__

'Kikyo. . .'

If the jewel was supposed to be burned with her when she was cremated, how was it possible that it still existed? The concept was inconceivable, yet there it was, hanging from this little girl's neck as if it hadn't been destroyed, hadn't been touched by flames. It was just sitting there mocking him.

Something was not right about this whole situation. 

And Inuyasha was going to get some answers, even if he had to terrorize her to do it.

"Who gave it to you!" he shouted at her, deciding to break his thoughts. His mouth curled up in the slightest increment as he watched her jump back, startled. So edgy. Well, that would only help his inquisition.

Kagome's brown eyes narrowed when she saw his smirk. He enjoyed the fact that he was making her nervous and she wouldn't allow him to find any satisfaction in scaring her. Her spine straightened and her lungs took in deep breaths to calm herself as she centered a full glare on him. 

"Where I receive things is none of your business! I don't even know you, so why should I tell you anything?"

"Alright, little girl, I've been patient. Either hand over the jewel or else I'll have myself a new scratching post." '_There. That will make her give it up' ,_ his mind told him. He didn't want to hurt her, actually, but threats made any situation easier. 

Kagome's eyes widened at his sudden statement. So he wasn't unlike that other demon that wanted something from her, enough to kill her to get it. But why would this creature want a little pink necklace? 

__

Wait a second. . .

He didn't know about her pendant until now. What was with this necklace, anyway? Kagome could only guess that it was the reason that the hideous dragon came after her in the first place, and now, this uncouth creature was threatening her as well. She doubted that either of them had any good intentions with it, so handing it over was out of the question. This. . . 'world' (she had no other name for it) was puzzling her sanity, making her feel strange and disoriented. However, she had no intent on giving anything****of hers to anyone in this barely-believable place, at least not until she figured out how to leave it.

Her voice was quiet and hardly audible. "No."

Inuyasha almost gasped in shock. No? She actually refused him? She was cowering in fear a moment ago before he stepped in the fight and now she wasn't afraid of him? He sniffed once and frowned. There was no scent of fear on her. It was as if she wasn't scarred at all. This girl was insane. She had to be. There was no way that he could say something like that, to a human no less, and not get at least a squeak or something. 

But he did say that he would take it, so he supposed he would have to.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Inuyasha asked, his claws extending. "Fine by me." He took another step, his hand reaching out to yank the desired item from her.

"No!" Kagome shouted as her eyes shut tightly. Was this such a good idea, she wondered while waiting for his sharp nails to strike. _Now_ she was afraid. Every nerve in her body prepared itself for intense pain. 

But then Kagome felt something unusual happen. All of the tension that had been building up in her body suddenly seemed as if it had been unleashed, releasing from her body and leaving her calm in its wake. And she didn't feel any pain at all. Surprised, she cracked open one of her eyes, anxious to see why she had felt no discomfort. 

His hand was still reaching out, his eyes wide again in shock. What had happened? Why didn't he hurt her, why did he stop? The questions in her mind came full force and she opened her mouth to ask them, but found herself cut off at his voice.

"What the hell was that, bitch?" he shouted at her, his hand falling to his side.

"I don't know. . .?" Kagome opened another eye, staring into his confused yellowish-brown ones. 

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" he demanded. "You just hit me with some kind of energy! It hurt like hell!"

Okay, this ride was getting worse and she wanted to get off. What energy? It came from her? "I don't know! It never happened before. . .if it _did_ happen," she said under her breath, certain that he wouldn't hear her. 

"Are you calling me a liar?" 

Well, so much for that idea.

"Look you, I'm still having difficulty trying to believe this whole thing. I never shot anybody with anything, and if I did do it, then I'm glad that I did it to you. It's not like you didn't deserve it. And as for my necklace," her hand tightened around the pink jewel again. "It's not going anywhere!"

"Hmph! We'll see about that!" And with that, his hand flew out again in another attempt to grasp the protected jewel. Inuyasha saw her also extend a hand in an effort to try to stop him. The same result came as it did the last time.

__

This time, she saw it. It was a purplish kind of light, lavender like, that engulfed her hand and blasted its way towards him. When it made contact, the energy sunk into flesh and left a plume of smoke in its place. It _did_ look painful, Kagome had to admit, but then again she wouldn't know since it had never happened to her before.

Inuyasha recoiled, pulling back his hand and shaking it. It hurt like a bitch, but he was far from admitting that. His eyes narrowed. "And you still have no clue what just happened do you?" he asked in disbelief. 

"Uh. . .bad karma?" Kagome stared at her arm. How _had_ she done that? She couldn't deny it now. But then this proved that she wasn't in a dream; she could _feel_ the energy emerge from her hand. It was as if she had now became Kami's little plaything, a Barbie doll being pulled from her own little playhouse and put into a group of G.I. Joe action figures. A totally different environment, completely new and confusing. And the purple energy? Well, that was like Barbie actually settling down and having kids: unbelievable.

Her hand lowered slowly, her eyes never falling from his. He cocked an eyebrow questioningly. "Look, as I said before, I don't know what's going on. When I do, I'll be sure to get back to you." She turned from him and started walking away.

"Hey, stupid!"

She whirled around. "What?! I don't want to talk to you, if that's the tone you're going to use."

"Fine by me. I just thought you would want to know that you're walking in the wrong direction if you want to get to the village." Inuyasha crossed his arms, another smirk crossed his face.

"Rude, overbearing, selfish lout," she murmured under her breath as she moved past him, obviously fuming.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, sported a shit-eating grin. "What?" he taunted as he followed her. "I didn't quite catch that. . ."

------------------------

They had both reached the village. Kagome was still clueless on how she had actually made it there without strangling the silver-haired boy. For the length of their trip, he kept arguing with her, insulting her until she had no choice but to yell back at him. He was making this difficult and Kagome knew that was his intention. She wouldn't act upon it though. She was stronger than that.

Inuyasha, however, could say he was thoroughly enjoying this. He was testing her to see where her breaking point was, since she obviously was trying hard to contain her anger at him. She was lifting his spirits, he had to admit. It was slowly taking his mind off of his earlier depression. 

__

'If only she didn't look so much like her_. . .'_

Sure, she smelled different and there were contrasts in her face, but Inuyasha could still painfully see the resemblance. It was her scent and those differences that made him curious about this girl and kept him from lashing out at her. As far as he knew, she wasn't from around here, from some far away country that he could barely pronounce. Which meant that she had no idea that she reminded him of her. 

But was that a bad thing or a good thing? 

Had fate tried to make up for itself? Did it plan to send him a memento of the woman that he had lost? What did all of this mean? 

"Hello!?"

Her voice finally registered to his ears. He looked at the girl who had her hands placed on her hips, a half-annoyed and half-curious expression on her face. A delicate brow was arched as she regarded him. 

"What?"

"Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to stare?" Then she threw up her hands in the air. "But I'm forgetting who I'm talking to. You've been gawking at me for at least five minutes."

Had he really? He didn't notice. But he was not going to allow her to say something like that to him without a fight. "Please, bitch. Who would want to stare at something as ugly as you?" 

Kagome gasped and gaped at him for a moment, then turned and stomped away from him, her small hands in fists. How dare he say that to her? She couldn't _wait_ to get home, to be rid of that bothersome male. 

"Is that you, Inuyasha?" a small voice called out.

The person in question turned to see an elderly lady shuffle towards him. "You know anyone else that looks like me?" he asked with sarcasm. "What do you want, Kaede?"

Kaede peered at the young girl standing a few feet away from him. She was wearing peculiar clothing and yet, there was also something so familiar about her. "And who is your friend?"

"Hey! Does this piece of trash look like--" 

"My name's Kagome," the girl interrupted him, extending a hand to the old woman. "I wouldn't go as far to say that we're friends. _Real_ friends wouldn't have any desire to kill one another," Kagome said as she turned back to him and shot him a murderous glare. 

Inuyasha crossed his arms and turned his nose up at her with a "keh". Kaede directed her gaze back at him. 

"You tried to harm her, Inuyasha?" 

"Yes, he did. And all because of this!" Kagome thrust out her necklace to show Kaede, whose brows shot up in wonder. 

"Yeah, you're probably thinking the same thing I was thinking," Inuyasha said as he watched the old woman turn the jewel over in her hand. 

"Amazing. How can the Shikon no Tama be back into the world after fifty years?" Kaede voiced her opinions aloud, astonished. 

"What? This thing is fifty years old?" Kagome took the necklace back from Kaede and examined it herself.

"Older than that, child. But it was said to have been destroyed five decades ago." the elder woman turned and started to hobble away from them. "Come with me, and I can tell you about it. We should not talk about such matters in the open." 

Kagome started to follow her but then she took into account of the boy named Inuyasha trailing as well. "Who invited you?" she demanded.

"I can go wherever I damn well please, bitch." He moved past her to duck inside of the hut that Kaede went into.

She must have stared at the straw mat of the door for a few minutes before a fiery look formed on her face. Did he just call her a bitch? What was that all about? She seethed with rage as she made her way inside of the small hut that both of the people went into. Kaede handed her a bowl of stew upon her arrival and anger instantly forgotten, she took it gratefully. She _had _skipped dinner to fall down a well and it smelled so good. She was about to dig in, that was, before she turned her eyes to a certain dog-boy who was inhaling the food at a mile a minute. 

"Avert your eyes, child, or you will lose your appetite." Kaede suggested as her chopsticks picked up a cooked vegetable and held it to her mouth. 

"Did you say something, you old hag!" Inuyasha asked as finished his meal and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "I've got more table manners than you!" 

Kaede sighed as Kagome frowned at him. "Why can't you show the least amount of respect for your elders?" 

"Inuyasha shows respect to no one. He has always been this way." 

"Keh, whatever," Inuyasha said shifting himself to laying on the floor with his back turned to the two females, oblivious to the fact that Kagome was glaring daggers at his back as she chewed her food. 

"Now, about the Sacred Jewel," Kaede began, setting her utensils down on the floor beside her. "It can grant unlimited power to those who possess it, demon and human alike."

"Demon?" Kagome interrupted. So that was what the dragon thing was, and that was what it was after. "I never thought that there were any just walking around and terrorizing people."

"Not all demons are bad, Kagome. There are some who do not harbor any malicious intentions or desire of the jewel."

A snort came from Inuyasha's direction. "Speak for yourself, Kaede. There are plenty of us other bad demons to make up for all of the weak sissy demons out there, too."

Regardless of Inuyasha's statement, Kaede continued. "But if the jewel were to fall into the evil possession of a demon or human, chaos will reign over the world and would be difficult to stop."

Great. Just great. Why did she have to have the one thing that everything evil wanted? "I didn't even know this much about it. It was given to me as a present."

"From who did you receive it?" Kaede asked.

"A. . .friend gave it to me. But I don't think that he knew about this either. But if it was destroyed, then how come I have it?"

"That is a mysterious thing, Kagome. The last guardian had perished and wished for that jewel to be cremated with her. In reality, the Shikon no Tama should not exist."

"The last guardian died? What was she like?" Kagome asked, her interest sparked.

"Kikyo was a powerful miko. She successfully protected the sacred jewel for many years, until. . ." Kaede's attention was directed towards the dog demon's back. 

Kagome followed her gaze. "What? He killed her?!" she half-exclaimed.

Inuyasha's ear twitched. With a raised eyebrow and fearsome eyes, he turned slowly and faced the old woman, his voice calm and cold at the same time. 

"What did you say?"

If Kaede was phased by it, she did not show it. "Did you, or did you not kill my sister for the Shikon no Tama, Inuyasha?"

"What the heck are you talking about? I never even sliced a claw on her!" 

A thoughtful expression formed on the old woman's face. "That is peculiar. Kikyo told me seconds before she died that you were the one that sent her in the afterlife. Are you sure you did not--"

"I think I would remember killing the woman I--" Realizing what he had just revealed, he turned and stormed out of the hut. 

Kagome watched the whole thing with a confused expression. How could he not remember murdering someone? What just happened? 

"Kagome, have you any idea of how long you are to stay in this village?"

The girl in question shook her head as she rose to look out of the window. "I wish I could go home, but according to Inuyasha, there's no such thing as Tokyo around here."

"Tokyo? I have never heard of it."

A wry smile crossed Kagome's lips. "Why am I not surprised?" She turned to look at Kaede again to mention something about the well taking her to this strange place, but a pile of objects caught her eye. It had wooden figurines, beads and metal items, all shaped in a unusual way. She picked up one of them and studied it. It was a strange necklace with violet beads and what looked to be tanned teeth of some sort of animal. The beads were shiny, but the fangs were dull. She held it up to Kaede. "What's all of this stuff?"

Kaede looked at the item that she was holding. "Those are aids to my miko powers. That particular item is a subduing necklace. One word will have the bearer fall under a subduing spell." 

Kagome could have sworn she felt a light bulb brighten over her head. A wicked smile crept across her face.

"Oh, Inuyasha!"


End file.
